The theme of the public outreach day of the 2016 Indian River Lagoon Symposium is "Engaging the Public: It's Our Lagoon!"

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) spans 40 percent of Florida’s east coast and has an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion, supporting an estimated 15,000 full- and part-time jobs while providing recreational opportunities for more than 11 million people per year. Next week, FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) will bring this estuary of national significance to the forefront of local conversation by hosting a public forum on lagoon health.

The public is invited to attend this public outreach day of the 2016 Indian River Lagoon Symposium on Friday, Feb. 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at HBOI’s Johnson Education Center Auditorium, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce.

The forum, “Engaging the Public: It’s Our Lagoon!,” is centered on the Indian River Lagoon Council Meeting, which also will take place that day at 9:30 a.m. The event is designed to provide interested individuals with an opportunity to learn more about the plans of the IRL National Estuary Program, and how to become more involved in the various efforts of organizations along the lagoon.

The forum is free and open to the public. Registration is required and closes Wednesday, Feb. 10. To register, visit https://fauf.fau.edu/irls2016.

About Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute: Founded in 1971, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University is a research community of marine scientists, engineers, educators and other professionals focused on Ocean Science for a Better World. The institute drives innovation in ocean engineering, at-sea operations, drug discovery and biotechnology from the oceans, coastal ecology and conservation, marine mammal research and conservation, aquaculture, ocean observing systems and marine education. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/hboi.

About Florida Atlantic University: Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

Florida Atlantic University embodies a culture of strategic and collaborative community engagement that results in mutual benefit to the institution and the diverse internal and external communities that it serves.